We will reposition NDDC for better service delivery, says Board nominee

Dr Pius Odubu. a nominee for the position of Chairman on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has pledged to reposition the interventionist agency for better service delivery to the people of the Niger Delta region.
Odubu made this known in his remarks during his screening, by the National Assembly joint committee on NDDC in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the incoming board , when constituted, will change  the narratives via rebranding of the NDDC.
This he said wound be realised with the efforts and support of the National Assembly joint committee on NDDC.
He further said: “Looking at the calibre of people that Mr President assembled to form this board this time around.
“ I make bold to say that we intend to pursue aggressively to go accordingly to the core mandate of the NDDC Act.
“We will embark on aggressive and even development of the Niger Delta area.
“We also wish to adopt a new system, that is we shall go the stakeholders meet with them, talk to them, get to know what their needs are and not the commission deciding the needs of the community.
“We shall also engage in an aggressive monitoring by establishing a monitoring unit that will inspect every project of the commission to ensure that they delivered according to specifics.
“We will ensure that we pass to the state representatives plans of every project of the commission and they will go on project inspection.
“We will also ensure that there is due process, probity and accountability.
“We intend to do a lot on human development based on increasing level of youth development in the region.
“This is because there so many cases of youth unemployment in the area and we will do everything within our power to ensure that the youths are employed.
“I have implicitly confidence in God at He will help us to reposition the commission.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, had in a letter dated October 18, forwarded the list of nominees for the board and management of the NDDC.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who had announced the list at plenary on October 29, directed the senate committee to conduct the screening of the nominees and report back in one week.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaboshi (PDP Delta), said the committee was mandated to screen the nominees by the senate.
He urged the nominees to avoid being apprehensive in the screening exercise.
He said the senate would extend its tradition of asking the nominees who had legislative experience to be excused from questions.
The NDCC board chairman designate, Pius Odubu and nominee for the post of Managing Director, Mr Benard Okumagba, were excused from taking questions and were asked to take a bow in line with tradition of National Assembly.
The nominee from Akwa Ibom, Mr Otobong Ndem was also excused from taking questions from the committee, after Sen. Rochas Okorocha (APC Imo) suggested that he should be excused from taking questions given his legislative background.
The nominees that appeared for the screening included the Chairman, Dr Pius Odubu (Edo), Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Executive Director Projects, Engr. Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom).
Others are Executive Director Finance and Admin, Maxwell Okoh (Bayelsa); Delta State representative, Prophet Jones Erue; Mr Victor Ekhatar (Edo); Dr Joy Yimebe Nunieh (Rivers); and Nwogu Nwogu Abia.
Others are Theodore Allison (Bayelsa); Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River),Olugbenga Elema (Ondo); Hon. Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo).
The nominee from Northwest Aisha Muhammed, representing from Kano was unavoidably absent at the screening as her screening would be conducted on a later day.
Other nominees that appeared for the screening were Ardo Zubairu representing North East (Adamawa) and Southwest Representative Engr. Badmus Mutalib (Lagos).